UnSweetined by Jodie Sweetin

Jodie Sweetin, best known for her role as Stephanie Tanner on the long-running, wholesome TV show Full House, is up-front and honest in her 2009 memoir entitled UnSweetined. From a young age Sweetin was in show business, getting her big break when Full House premiered in 1987. Sharing bits and pieces of life on the set of Full House and stories of her lifelong friendship with TV sister Candace Cameron Bure, Sweetin writes how much she enjoyed acting. It wasn't long before life as a child star began to take its toll after Sweetin's longtime role came to an end.

Now as a teenager, unable to escape her role as America's sweetheart, Sweetin's acting career came to a screeching halt as she tried to juggle regular life with life as a former child star. With nothing but time on her hands and an endless supply of money, Sweetin's life took a dramatic turn to drug and alcohol abuse. Not afraid to write about her struggles, Sweetin sheds light on her vicious cycle of recovery and relapse (even while writing her book); ultimately only coming clean following the birth of her daughter.

Sweetin's deeply personal memoir is a quick read, filled with humor, charm, and struggle. For Full House fans or those who enjoy memoirs of child stars, UnSweetined is sure to give you a completely different perspective of Jodie Sweetin aside from her "How rude!" saying character Stephanie Tanner.

Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology by Leah Remini

How does a brassy girl from Brooklyn get involved in and break away from something as controversial as Scientology? Leah Remini wants you to know like most things, it's complicated. Best known for her role on King of Queens, Leah has never backed away from a fight, or thrown herself in to something less than 100%. In Troublemaker, she tells the story of how her family got involved in Scientology, and eventually broke away from the church.

Like all good celebrity memoirs, she doesn't shy away from awkward moments growing up, gives us good backstage gossip, and opens the curtain on the secretive world of Scientology. You can only imagine sitting over coffee (or something stronger) and having her tell stories of her family, Tom Cruise and Dancing with the Stars. 

If Going Clear was a bit academic for you (or thoroughly fascinating), check out Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology by Leah Remini!

Landline by Rainbow Rowell

Georgie McCool is on the verge of something big. Her show, the show she has been working on with longtime friend and writing partner Seth has caught the eye of a network executive. He wants a scrips and to have a meeting on December 27th. It could work, if Neal and the girls just skip their Christmas trip to Nebraska, and she works through the holiday. It will be fine.

But it's not fine, as Neal and the girls leave for Omaha without her. Stuck without her family, but with her dream still intact, Georgie has time to work on her new show. Her mother thinks Neal has left her, and even Georgie isn't sure what his leaving means. If he would just answer the phone she could talk to him and figure it all out.

It's on landline at her mother's house that she finally gets a hold of Neal, but not current (December 2013) Neal, Neal from December 1998, right after a huge fight when he left her for Omaha the last time. Can Georgie balance her current dreams with her family? Or has she already lost Neal?

Landline is one of those comedic, dramatic, make sure you have some tissue on hand books that captures the way everyday life gets in the way of what we truly want. Georgie's current life flashes back to her college years when she was just meeting Neal, and becoming friends with Seth. The way Georgie struggles to balance work and family will resonate with many readers, looking for balance in their own life.

Landline will be published on July 8th, and this review was based on an Advance Readers Copy from the publisher. It's in the catalog, so you can put a hold on the book today!

The Returned by Jason Mott

This book is about the life of Harold and Lucille Hargrave whose world is turned upside down with a knock on the door.  Their son died 50 years ago and he has now returned from the dead.  At eight years of age Jacob is exactly how Lucille remembered him.  All over the world loved ones are returning from the dead.   What would you do if your loved one was back from the dead?

Lucille and Harold live in the small town of Arcadia and with so many people returning it is difficult to find room for all of them.  The Federal Bureau of the Returned starts to take over the situation and many of the townsfolk are not too happy.  One of the struggles that everyone is having is that they do not know why people are returning and if it should be considered a miracle or a warning of something to come.

This was a really good read and really made me think more about life and death.  The author’s note at the end of the novel really gives a food feel for why the author wrote this story.  This is a good read for anyone who is interested in the afterlife.  Or if you are curious as to what the world could become if all our loved ones returned.    

Want to read more about the returned? Jason Mott wrote some short stories as prequels to The Returned they  are in e-book form and can be found through the library.  They are, “The Choice,” “The First” and “The Sparrow.”   These short stories give more background information on some of those that were returned in his novel, The Returned.

Jason Mott’s Novel is being made into a television program called, The Resurrection.  It premiers on Sunday March 9 @ 9/8c on ABC.  Check out more about the show here: http://abc.go.com/shows/resurrection

Check out The Returned @ the library!